Catchall separator for an evaporator



Oct. 9, 1956 Filed Feb. 12, 1955 J. MAIR CATCHALL. SEPARATOR FOR AN EVAPORATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Get. 9, 1956 J. MAlR CATCHALL SEPARATOR FOR AN EVAPORATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1953 Mirna/49's James Mair, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Goslin-Birmingham Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Alabama Application February 12, 1953, Serial No. 336,540

7 Claims. (Cl. 183-91) This invention relates to apparatus for separating entrained liquor in the vapor from an evaporator and has for an object the provision of apparatus of the character designated which shall be simple of design, economical of manufacture, and which shall be effective to separate entrained liquor from vapor with a minimum of friction loss.

A further object of my invention is to provide a catchall for an evaporator which shall include means for imparting a whirling movement to the vapor as it passes through and leaves the vapor head of the evaporator whereby to throw out entrained liquor by centrifugal force.

As is well known in the art to which my invention relates, various means have been proposed for separating entrained liquor from vapor in evaporators. All with which I am familiar have embodied various arrangements of baiiles, and depended upon abrupt changes in direction of flow of the vapor to effect separation of the entrained liquor, with consequent undue friction losses. These and other difficulties are overcome by means of my invention in which I provide a transverse horizontal plate in the vapor head of the evaporator with a passage therein through which all the vapor passes. Means in the form of suitable vanes and guide plates are provided to impart a rotary motion to the vapor as it enters and leaves the opening without change of direction. A tangential outlet from the vapor head is so located as to aid in maintaining the rotary motion whereby the entrained liquor is thrown out centrifugally. I thus minimize friction losses and provide for a more efiicient separation.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view taken along the line II of Fig. 2 with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the apparatus with the vapor head and parts in section; and,

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention I show in Figs. 2 and 4 the upper end of an evaporator with a cylindrical vapor head 11. The vapor from the evaporator 10 passes upwardly into the vapor head 11 and out through a tangential outlet 12.

Extending across the vapor head 11, below the tangential outlet 12 is a horizontal transverse plate 13 which extends entirely across the vapor head below the outlet 12 and has a passage 14 therethrough. The passage 14, as shown in Fig. 1, is located eccentrically with respect to the vertical axis of the vapor head 11 and on the opposite side of said axis from the outlet 12. Drain openings 16 and 17 are provided in the plate 13 with liquid-sealed drain pipes 18 and 19 connected thereto as shown in Fig. 4.

Mounted on the underside of the transverse plate 13 and extending radially from the opening 14 is a plurality 2,765,71 Patented Oct. 9, 1956 of curved vanes 21 with a horizontal cover plate 22 over the vanes whereby all of the vapor entering or passing through the opening or passage 14 is caused to assume a circular motion radially inward to the opening 14. Mounted on top of the plate 13 and extending radially outward from the passage 14 is a plurality of curved vanes 23 which are so disposed as to continue the rotary motion imparted by the vanes 21 outwardly away from the passage 14. A horizontal cover plate 24 mounted over the vanes 23 guides the vapor radially outward in a curved path. The vapors then strike the circular inner wall 26 of the vapor head 11 and pass to the tangential outlet 12.

In order to prevent vapor leaving the vanes 23 on the side adjacent the tangential outlet 12 from passing directly to said outlet, I mount a vertical curved baiile plate 27 on the transverse plate 13 disposed between the tangential outlet 12 and the vanes 23. Thus that portion of the vapor leaving the vanes 23 directly in front of the outlet 12 is caused to assume a curved path and travel all the way around the curved inner wall 26 of the vapor head 11. Vapor leaving the vanes 23 on the side opposite the outlet 12 strikes the curved wall 26 and continues its rotary motion to the outlet 12. In this manner, the rotary motion imparted to the vapor as it first approaches the passage 14 is continued by the vanes 23 and the circular inner wall 26. The vapor moving at a high velocity causes the entrained liquid to be thrown out by centrifugal force and drain out through the drain pipes 18 and 19. It will be observed from Fig. 4 that the tangential outlet 12 is disposed a slight distance above the transverse plate 13 whereby to prevent liquor thrown out of the vapor from escaping through the outlet 12.

It will be observed that vapor passing radially inward between the curved vanes 21 toward the opening 14 forms a vortex in the opening 14 which causes the particles of entrained liquor in the vapor to strike each other and agglomerate into particles sufficiently large to drop out of the vapor stream. The vapor entering this vortex area is accelerated by the vanes 21 into a rotary motion and this rotary motion is maintained by the vanes 23 and by the tangential outlet 12. The entrained liquor is thus caused to drop out of the vapor stream and travel toward the drain outlets 16 and 17.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised an improved catchall for separating entrained liquor from vapor in an evaporator which is simple of design, economical of manufacture, and one in which the liquor is thrown out of the vapor by centrifugal force, without any abrupt change in the direction of flow of the vapor.

While I have shown my invention in but one form it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modi fications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended laims.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for separating entrained liquor from vapor leaving an evaporator, a cylindrical housing, a plate extending transversely across the housing in the path of the vapor leaving the evaporator and having an opening therein, curved vanes on the upstream side of the plate directing the vapor inwardly toward the opening with a rotary motion, other curved vanes on the other side of the plate directing the vapor outwardly of said opening with a rotary motion which is a continuation of the rotary motion imparted by the curved vanes on the upstream side of the plate, there being liquid drain openings in said plate, a tangential outlet in the housing at said other side of the plate, and a curved bafiie plate spaced from said outlet. and effectiveto prevent direct entry of vapor into e Qutle ft msai fiut ed ane 2. In combination with the vapor head of an evaporator, a transverse plate extending across the vapor head and having, an opening therein disposed, eccentrically with respect to the vapor head, curved vaneson bothsides of said plate disposed radially with respect to the opening to impart continuous rotary motion in the same direction to the vapor as it passes, from one side of the transverse plate through the opening to the other side of thetransverse plate, baffie plates parallel with the transverse plate covering the vanes on both sides of said transverse plate whereby all the vapor passing through the opening passes first radially inwardly toward the opening and then, radially outwardly with said continuous rotary motion, a tangential outlet in thevaporhead, disposed on the down stream side of the transverse plate positioned to receive the rotating vapor and; remove it from the vapor head, and a curved bafl'le mounted on thetransverse plate and extending substantially, normal thereto between the vanes and the tangential outlet on the outlet side of the transverse plate to impart further continuous rotary motion to the, vapor leaving the opening in the plate directly. in front of the tangential outlet.

3. In apparatus for separating entrained liquor from vapor in an evaporator, a cylindrical vapor head, a transverse horizontal plate extending across the vapor head and having a passage therein upwardly through which the vapor passes, means to impart continuous rotary motion in the same direction to the vapor as it approaches and leaves the pasage, a tangential outlet in thevapor head on the upper side of the. plate positioned to receive the rotating vapor, and a vertical curved bafile mounted on the transverse plate between the opening in the plate and the tangential outlet to impart further continuous rotary motion to vapor leaving the opening in the the plate directly in front of said tangential outlet.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim} in which theopening in the transverse plate is disposed eccentrically with respect to the long axis of the vapor head and on the opposite side of said axis from the tangential outlet.

5. In apparatus for separating entrained liquor from vapor leaving an evaporator, a cylindrical vapor head, a plate extending in a transverse plane across the vapor head and having an opening therein, curved vanes on the upstream side of the plate directing the vapor inwardly toward the opening with a rotary motion, other curved vanes on the other side of said plate directing the vapor outwardly of said opening with a rotary motion which is a continuation of the rotary motion imparted by the curved vanes onthe upstream side of the plate, and a tangential outlet in said vapor head at said other side of the plate and adjacent said plate whereby it lies generally in a transverse plane passing across said vapor head' and through said other curved vanes.

6. Apparatus as defined. in. claim 5 in which baffle plates substantially parallel with the transverse plate cover the vanes on both sides of the transverse plate whereby all the vapor passing through the opening passes first radially inward toward the opening and then radially outward with said continuous rotary motion.

7, In apparatus for separating entrained liquor, from vapor in an evaporator, a cylindrical vapor head, a transverse horizontal plate extending across the vapor, head and having passage therein upwardly through which the vapor passes, means to impart continuous rotary motion in the same direction to the vapor as it approaches and leaves the passage, a tangential outlet in the vapor head onthe upper side of said plate, and a curved bathe plate mounted on the transverse plate between the passage in the transverse plate and the tangential outlet to impart further continuous rotary motion, to, vapor leaving the passage in theplate directly in front of said tangential outlet.

Rrfezaas s es n i e o s. p en UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,033,580 Hall et al. July 23,, 1912 1,783,813 Schneible Dec. 2, 1930 1,795,695 Wyllie Mar. 10, 1931 2,399,842 Warner May 7, 1946 2,424,122 chnei er J ly 15, 1947 2,590,480 Van der K011; Mar. 4, 1949 

